Within the past two decades U.S. companies have experienced increased competition from foreign companies. In an effort to combat this competition many U.S. companies focused on quality as a solution to the problem. Researchers agree this emphasis on quality systems has changed the way many managers conduct business. Yet, no studies have identified which components of world-class quality systems, if any, contribute most to changes in performance. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate three research questions pertaining to world-class quality systems: (1) What are the components of world-class quality systems? (2) Does a relationship exist between world-class quality system components and improved organizational performance? (3) Which world-class quality system components contribute most to changes in performance? The theoretical foundation for investigating these relationships is developed from Galbraith's (1977) information processing model of organization design. An extensive literature review resulted in the identification of seven components common to world-class quality systems: management involvement, customer involvement, employee involvement, supplier involvement, product/service design, process management, and continuous improvement. The literature suggests implementation of these components leads to changes in performance in such areas as productivity, throughput time, and quality output. A cross-sectional field study was used to gather data to answer the research questions. In this study, each component of world-class quality systems is measured as an independent variable. Change in productivity, throughput time, and quality output are measured as dependent variables. Factor analyses, correlation analyses, and hierarchical regression analyses are used to test the relationships. The target population was ISO 9000 certified companies located in the United States. The results indicated that management's involvement and employees' involvement are positively correlated with change in performance. The results also show that a positive relationship exits between the use of world-class quality system components and change in performance.

This study deals with the cultural differences between conducting business in Eruope particularly in France compared to conducting business in the United States.